Seats, automotive polymers

Some important everyday items that are made from polymers with widely different properties Include billiard balls, plastic dishes, soda bottles, barrier and decorative films, egg cartons, polymeric drinking glasses, foam seats, and automotive tires. These applications for synthetic polymers have developed over about 150 years. As shown in Table 2.1, modern polymer material science and technology can be traced back to as early as 1770 [1]. Some Important advances In the understanding of polymer production were developed before World War II. 

Aminoplast dispersions, in spite of the accessibility and low cost of raw materials, are not produced industrially, due to the risk of toxic formaldehyde elimination, especially when the resulting aminoplast polymer polyol is used for slabstock foams and, of course, for moulded flexible foams used for seating or interior automotive parts. 

Polyurethanes are addition polymers containing the urethane linkage,-RNHCOOR -. They have been of great commercial importance for 50 years, with many applications as foam (furniture and automotive seating, insulation, carpet underlay), coatings (automotive and architectural paint), adhesives and sealants, and as elastomers for a variety of special purposes. 

Natural fibre-reinforced polymers have created interest in the recent years in the automotive industry. Besides, other applications of natural fibre composites include door inner panel, seat back, roof inner panel, and so on. Natural fibres are being used in automotive industry due to the following reasons ... 

Automotive applications range from window seals and gasketing to enhanced noise/vibration attenuation. The polymers are candidates for automotive seating, interior padded trim and insulation, hospital padding, and topper pads. SEES is extruded/blown into 1-mil films for disposable gloves for surgical/hospital/dental, food/pharmaceutical, and household markets. ... 

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